unravel the mystery

Factual Questions
21

As heavy as this is, I accept it. The words are one thing and the slices of time are another. The analogy I always tried to adapt my thinking to was when I worked in Sales Forecasting. Our methods for predicting the future involved looking at progressively nearer slices of the past.

But somebody pointed out that predicting the future based on the past is like driving a car on a winding mountain road by looking in the rearview mirror.

The same applies, though in a subtler way, by trying to predict the immediate past! As the future slides past now into the then of the past, our viewpoint shifts and we have to factor into our view of the past by what has just finished happening.

Fun flies when you’re having time…

22

It already has, and still will.

23

When did the future ever become the past? The future is our inaccurate perception of what will happen, and it never does.

24

Correct. The past rolls out, fixed; the future never happens. They’re two different entities that can’t touch.

25

It hasn’t yet, except for what already did.

26

Yoyodyne: Bringing you the future tomorrow!

27

And considering the various ways our memories mess with us, the past becomes iffy pretty fast as well. We’re kind of screwed, aren’t we ?

28

On reflection, after looking at the OP’s user name, I speculate that the answer he’s looking for is “the international date line”.

29

When, people, use, commas, for, no, reason,.

30

Commas may be used anywhere in dialogue or exposition to indicate the tempo of speech. I may have to use that over in GD, in the future.

31

Now.
No, dammit, I was too early. So . . . now!
Damn, did it again. Now.
Fuck, this time I’ll wait a while.
.
.
.
Ok, ready? . . . uh . . . now.
Shit. I give up.

32

Just then! Damn, you missed it. Oh, OK, here it comes again…

33

George Carlin: There’s a moment coming…wait, it’s not here yet…there it is! Aw shit, it’s gone!

34

When you’re living backwards, according to Bob Dylan:

“We’ll meet on edges, soon,” said I
Proud ’neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

35

I don’t think it does.

Time is an illusion.

36

Perhaps this deserves its own thread (or looking up those older threads where it has been the main topic) but I’d like somebody (you perhaps, Meatros) to elaborate on this statement.

I know that Time is that thing that clocks measure, and that it’s somehow a measurement of change or process. But to say it’s an illusion is like saying Reality is an illusion, to my way of thinking.

Serious question here.

37

I believe Stephen Hawking teaches that time is a feature of this universe. It could be completely different in another universe.

38

Then you typed all those letters at the same . . . uh . . . :smack:

39

Done and done: Is Time an illusion? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board

40

Lunchtime, doubly so.